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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29723460">untamed hearts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookdancer/pseuds/Bookdancer'>Bookdancer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>checking vital signs [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1 (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(the animal is ok at the end!), Animal Attack, Chimney is Buck's older brother, Don’t copy to another site, Gen, Harm to Animals, Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Evan "Buck" Buckley, or at least an allusion to it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 19:15:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,323</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29723460</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookdancer/pseuds/Bookdancer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Chimney’s problem with animals has never been a secret, so it’s no surprise when Buck gets between Chimney and the panther snarling in the corner. Then it gets the great idea of lunging, and suddenly Chimney isn’t worried about himself--he’s worried about Buck.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Evan "Buck" Buckley &amp; Howie "Chimney" Han</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>checking vital signs [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1596580</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>240</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>untamed hearts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>alright, part three! whoaaitsmichele asked for chimney’s part so that’s what i went with. i’m so sorry this took me so long, i was struggling to get it started in the first place and then i had like ten million other fic ideas i wanted to write, and then i was having trouble writing in general, and i’m honestly just thankful this is done</p>
<p>the series summary is: 5 times Buck prioritizes his family’s wellbeing over his own, and the 1 time they help him prioritize himself.</p>
<p>thanks as usual to <a href="https://queenofmoons67.tumblr.com">@queenofmoons67</a> for beta-ing!</p>
<p>in addition, the series and fic titles are variations of lyrics from the score’s “born for this”</p>
<p>anyway, i don't own 9-1-1, and i've also cross-posted this fic to both <a href="https://bookdancerfics.tumblr.com">tumblr</a> and ff.net (Bookdancer). i hope you all enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s a weird call to begin with—the 911 dispatcher reports that the caller complained of chest pains, probably from a heart attack, but he also mentioned someone named Viola. The caller, a Mr. Ted Jackson, apparently passed out before the dispatcher could find out exactly who Viola was. The call takes them to the outskirts of LA, and they arrive at a decently sized house in the middle of an even larger storm.</p>
<p>The neighborhood is one of those ones where all the houses look alike, so the one thing that really distinguishes the caller is the large Jeep Wrangler parked out front. The rain is coming down hard now, and Chimney really only sees the Wrangler when he’s jogging past it, med kit in hand and Buck at his side. Hen, Eddie, and Bobby bring up the rear with the stretcher, which they’ll leave on the ground floor till they find Ted Jackson. Since they don’t know where exactly in the house he is, Hen and Eddie will take the second floor, Chimney and Buck the first, and Bobby the basement.</p>
<p>They separate as soon as they enter the house, all three groups peeling off from each other. Chimney and Buck make their way through the entryway, then take a left into the dining room, and are just about to enter the living room when the lights flicker and then go out. Chimney pauses and Buck bumps into his back.</p>
<p>He’d had his eyes on the light switch, so Chimney reaches for it, flicks it back and forth, and then shrugs at Buck’s outline when the room stays dark. He keys at his radio, twisting to talk into it.</p>
<p>“The storm took out the lights,” Chimney says. “Any chance someone’s near the circuit breakers?”</p>
<p>“Negative,” Bobby says after a moment. “But I’ll take a look down here. How’s your own search going?”</p>
<p>“Well,” Buck answers. “It’s going.” He’s gone from being a dark shape against other dark shapes to having actual features, and Chimney waits as he reaches for the flashlight attached to his hip.</p>
<p>The light illuminates the room, and Chimney just gets a glimpse of something big, black, and furry before Buck is in front of him.</p>
<p>“Buck,” he says, and he’ll forever deny that his voice cracks. “Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.”</p>
<p>“Uh,” Buck says, and his voice is so low that Chimney has to strain to hear him. “I don’t think you’ll like the answer. Just back away, <em>slowly</em>.”</p>
<p>Chimney does as Buck says, stepping back and suddenly wishing they’d had a reason to be wearing full turnout gear, even in the middle of the summer.</p>
<p>“Bobby,” Chimney says lowly, talking to the radio again. “Bobby you need to get everyone else out of here. And call animal control.”</p>
<p>“What?” Bobby asks. “Why animal control?”</p>
<p>Chimney peeks around Buck when they finally reach the doorway, then swallows harshly. The thing is definitely closer than it had been. Something on the far side of the room glints in Buck’s flashlight beam. Chimney can’t help but peer closer at it, wondering—and it is.</p>
<p>“Buck that’s our guy,” he says, the glasses he spotted still shining in the corner, but it’s not until the thing swings its head to stare at Chimney that he realizes he spoke at the regular, urgent volume he normally does when faced with a patient he hasn’t reached yet.</p>
<p>Buck freezes.</p>
<p>“Why do you need animal control?” Bobby asks again, and his voice somehow rings out even louder than Chimney’s.</p>
<p>Chimney would give anything to not know what it feels like to have a fully grown panther stare him down with its ears flat back, but here he is. Something curdles in his gut, and the very very <em>very very </em>small part of him not focused on the freaking panther—why does this guy have a panther in his <em>living room</em>?—recognizes it as terror. His legs won’t move anymore, no matter how much he tells them to.</p>
<p>The panther’s muscles ripple under its fur coat, and its tail lashes once.</p>
<p>It’s the only warning they get before it lunges.</p>
<p>Chimney crashes to the ground, Buck on top of him, and all the air whooshes from his lungs. He tries heaving in a breath but that just makes it worse, and he can do nothing but watch as Buck rolls in the opposite direction, taking the panther with him.</p>
<p>“Chimney?” Bobby asks, for the third time now, his voice urgent, and Chimney can hear footsteps clattering on the stairs. He’s not sure if they’re coming down or up; it may not really matter. “Buck? What’s happening?”</p>
<p>“Shit,” Chimney wheezes. Somehow he manages to climb to his feet, his grip tight on the doorway and his chest still heaving. His mind is racing. They don’t have a sedative strong enough to take out a cat as big as this one, let alone animal tranquilizers, but he can’t just leave Buck to the mercy of a freaking panther of all things. He can’t leave his future brother-in-law in this situation. And hell, who is he kidding. He can’t leave his <em>brother</em>.</p>
<p>Chimney turns and bolts out of the living room right as Bobby reaches it, and he yells what he hopes Bobby will make out as “Distract it!” as he runs for the house’s entryway.</p>
<p>One of the things about emergency stretchers, Chimney has learned through his years on the job, is that they can be heavy. The other thing is that they’re portable, easily moved.</p>
<p>It turns out they also make excellent ramming devices.</p>
<p>By the time animal control arrives, Chimney is already patching Buck up outside. Eddie and Hen are in the ambulance taking Ted Jackson to the hospital, Bobby is watching Buck with crossed arms and a frown, and the panther is safely locked inside the house, relatively unharmed. Chimney doesn’t even think he knocked her out, just deterred her enough to back off and let them retrieve Buck and the panther’s owner.</p>
<p>Buck himself is… mostly fine. Chimney frowns at the thought even as he finishes wrapping a bandage around yet another gash. The panther swiped at Buck, but she really only hit his forearms and biceps, Buck having managed to hold her at arms’ length the entire time.</p>
<p>“Those long arms finally good for something, huh, Buckaroo?” Chimney murmurs.</p>
<p>Buck gives him a weak smile. “This and basketball, I guess.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Chimney asks, even though he already knew that. “You and Albert should play sometime.”</p>
<p>“Mm, yeah, we have,” Buck says.</p>
<p>“Mm,” Chimney copies. “That’s good.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Buck says.</p>
<p>Finally they both stand, Buck’s wounds wrapped and set till they can get him to the hospital for care there. Bobby nods at them both, still frowning, but Buck avoids his gaze and Bobby turns toward the firetruck’s driver’s seat.</p>
<p>“Hey, Buck,” Chimney says, clapping a hand on Buck’s shoulder.</p>
<p>Buck glances at him. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>Chimney pauses, his grip tightening briefly as he sees the worried look on his friend’s face. There’s a lot of things he could say—“don’t ever do that again,” “you’re lucky you’re off blood thinners,” “Maddie’s going to kill me,” “Maddie’s going to kill <em>you</em>,” “boy I don’t envy that talk you’re gonna have with Bobby.” But there’s really only one that needs saying now. One he needs Buck to hear.</p>
<p>“Thanks.”</p>
<p>Buck’s face clears immediately, relief shining in his eyes and his shoulders relaxing even as he smiles. “I’m glad I was there.”</p>
<p>Chimney nods. He’s not sure if he entirely reciprocates the sentiment, not when it meant Buck putting himself in danger again, not when it meant Buck getting <em>hurt </em>again, but he is grateful Buck thought quickly. He’s even more thankful Buck lasted long enough for Chimney to respond in kind.</p>
<p>“C’mon,” he says finally. “Let’s go get you taken care of so you can get back out there.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>listen i don’t think i need to tell you guys not to keep wild animals as pets, but for the love of everything good in this world *don’t keep wild animals as pets*. anyway, up next: eddie! not buddie, but you guys can think of it as pre-buddie if you want. hopefully posted after a break shorter than this one was</p>
<p>also the albert comment was brought to you by that one scene in 4x04 when albert and chimney were going to hang out before albert runs away from the buckley family secret</p>
<p>also, because i'm posting this 5+1 series as a *series* and not a fic, if you want to know when the next installment is posted, please subscribe to the series. i also have a tumblr account, <a href="https://bookdancerfics.tumblr.com">@bookdancerfics</a>, so please feel free to drop by. sometimes i post writing updates</p>
<p>finally, i hope you all enjoyed, and please feel free to comment!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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